Starting in the USA next week 20 retailers will post to the site including tags for items shown in the photos that when tapped reveal prices and links to buy them

The move is seen as a continuation of Instagram’s owner Facebook’s foray into online shopping with its Facebook Marketplace which was launched last month.

In a blog post launching the feature Instagram said: “Mobile has changed the way people shop. You browse products while waiting to be seated for dinner, make purchases on your commute into work, and compare prices online when you’re at a store to see what’s the better deal.

“In fact, more than 84% of smartphone users in the US browse, research or compare products via a web browser or mobile app.

Instagram says up to five products will be tagged per photo by participating sellers, with a “tap to view” icon appearing at the bottom of an image

Instagram says up to five products will be tagged per photo by participating sellers, with a “tap to view” icon appearing at the bottom of an image to alert users to the shopping information being available.

The social media site did not comment on when the feature will be extended to Britain and the it will initially only be used in Apple’s iOS version of the Instagram app.

Facebook buys Instagram

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